Automotive vehicles such as passenger cars and trucks have one or more power outlets. Devices requiring electrical power can be plugged into the outlet (or outlets) having the appropriate output characteristics. For example, a cell phone charger requiring 12 VDC can be plugged into a power outlet having 12 VDC electrical power. While 12 VDC is typical for power outlets in automotive vehicles, automotive vehicles can have additional power outlets having other output voltages, such as 120 VAC.
The power outlets are typically powered based on the state of the ignition switch (or its equivalent), which may differ depending on the power outlet. For example, a power outlet may be powered all the time, it may be powered when the ignition switch is in the “accessory” position, it may be powered when the ignition switch is in the “on” position regardless of whether the vehicle is running, or it may be powered when the ignition switch is in “on” position and the engine of the vehicle is running.